Mumbai / Lahore: Three people were killed and 20 injured in a car bomb explosion in Lahore, Pakistan on Wednesday. The blast occurred at a police picket outside the residence of Hafiz Saeed, co-founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba and the chief of Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD). Saeed is the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 166 people, including six Americans. Inspector General of Police (Punjab) Inam Ghani said there could have been a "major loss" had there been no police picket outside the house.
He said three people were killed in the car bomb blast while more than 20 others were injured. "Explosive material was installed in the car. There was a police picket outside the high-value target's house. The car could not cross the police picket," Ghani said, describing it as "a terror" act.
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) has taken over the blast site and investigating from all aspects, he said. "The CTD will determine whether the blast was a suicide blast, if a device was used," he said.
Ghani also claimed that "hostile" intelligence agencies could be involved in this blast. The injured people have been shifted to the Jinnah Hospital where the condition of six of them is said to be critical. "The injured also include policemen. The condition of six injured of the 17 admitted to hospital is critical," said Dr Yahya Sultan of Jinnah Hospital. Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid directed the Punjab chief secretary and IG to submit a report.
The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. He was listed under the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008.
